01-11-2016

FESTIVALS: Prague Festival Stretches Film Boundaries

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    PRAGUE: The National Gallery in Prague has teamed up with a pilot festival of films shot in the portrait format for smartphone screens, Vertifilms, to be held on 3 November 2016.

    The festival is the brainchild of adman turned FAMU film student Krystof Safer. It is the first festival of its kind in the Czech Republic, although Australia launched a vertical film festival two years ago, and New York City will be the site of one later this year.

    The festival, which will be a short one-day affair, comes complete with a jury headed by Prague-based Hollywood producer Rick McCallum.

    Safer told FNE that entries were closed on 30 October and 21 short films were selected for the festival, including six which will have their premieres at the festival.